Brad Bennett - Protecting the public and serving the community

Legislative Record

During his current term in office, Brad Benett has been extraordinarily active in the State House of Representatives, to date sponsoring seven House Bills and co-sponsoring another six. These are identified and described below.

Key Sponsored Legislation by issue area

House Bill # 96

Long Title:

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 10 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE EXAMINATION OF MORTGAGE SATISFACTIONS BY A COMMISSIONER.

Synopsis:

This bill eliminates the appointment of a Mortgage Commissioner by the Superior Court of Kent County. This bill applies only to Kent County.

House Bill # 294

Long Title:

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 9 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE KENT COUNTY COMPTROLLER, KENT COUNTY RECEIVER OF TAXES AND COUNTY TREASURER, AND GOVERNMENT OF KENT COUNTY.

Synopsis:

This bill eliminates the offices of Kent County Receiver of Taxes and County Treasurer, and Kent County Comptroller and transfers the functions of those offices to the Kent County Department of Finance.

House Bill # 136

Long Title:

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 11 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SEX OFFENDERS AND SEXUAL OFFENSES.

Synopsis:

This Act increases the criminal penalties of §779A, Title 11 of the Delaware Code against a person who has previously been convicted of a sex offense and is on the sex offender registry who then commits a sex offense against a child under the age of twelve years. This Act would make the penalty for a sex offender who commits a sex offense classified as a misdemeanor against a child under twelve years of age a class C felony. This Act would make the penalty for a sex offender who commits a sex offense classified as a class C, D, E, F, or G felony a class B felony.

House Bill # 206

Long Title:

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 11 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SPECIFIC OFFENSES.

Synopsis:

This bill increases the penalties for the crime of “sex offender unlawful sexual conduct against a child” when the victim is under the age of eighteen and has a cognitive disability. Additionally, the bill amends the definition of “without consent” as it applies to sex crimes to help protect individuals with cognitive disabilities.

House Bill # 304 w/HA 1

Long Title:

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 11 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SPECIFIC OFFENSES.

Synopsis:

This bill provides that a person who stands in a position of trust, authority or supervision over a child who is at least 16 years old but not yet 18 years old and intentionally engages in sexual intercourse or sexual penetration with such child or an invitee or designee of such person shall have committed the offense of Rape in the 3rd degree which is a class B felony. This offense is currently Rape in the 4th degree which is a class C felony..

House Bill # 380

Long Title:

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 30 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVES.

Synopsis:

This proposed tax credit intends to create incentives for existing businesses to partner with the State in the effort to create new employment opportunities for Delaware citizens, and to stimulate the Delaware economy by expanding the tax base. A finder’s fee, a tool used commonly by businesses, is an arrangement by which an intermediary finds, introduces, and brings together parties to a business opportunity. This bill creates a tax credit program that would award each Sponsor Firm and each New Business Firm with a $500 annual tax credit per Delaware job created by the new business, with the tax credit available for three years. The program would require that the new business be brought to Delaware as a result of the efforts of the sponsor, and would specifically exclude those business, such as real estate agents, banks and commercial landlords, that already have an incentive to bring out-of-state business to Delaware.

House Bill # 209 w/SA 1

Long Title:

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 30 OF THE DELAWARE CODE PROVIDING FOR AN EXTENSION OF THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION TAX CREDIT ACT.

Synopsis:

This Act provides for a 10-year extension to the Historic Preservation Tax Credit Act which is scheduled to expire in June 2010. Seventy-five (75) historic buildings throughout the State have been rehabilitated and preserved for future generations as a result of this program. Since its inception in 2001, the State has awarded $34 million in tax credits that have leveraged more than $166 million in private-sector rehabilitation expenditures plus additional tens of millions in site acquisition investments. These investments have produced an estimated 2,400 jobs in Delaware – most of them in the construction trades and related industries.

House Bill # 73

Long Title:

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR HIGHER EDUCATION FOR THOSE SERVING IN THE DELAWARE NATIONAL GUARD.

Synopsis:

The Act makes several changes to the Delaware National Guard Educational Benefits program. Section 1 requires State-supported institutions to charge members the in-state rate for tuition and fees regardless of the members’ state of residence. Sections 2 and 3 make changes to allow members to pursue master’s degree programs. Section 4 allows members to receive a grade less than a 2.0 on an individual course, but requires members to maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or higher in order to receive reimbursement. Finally, Section 5 provides that, if funding is not appropriated to fully support the program, the reimbursement for master’s degree programs will be reduced before any reductions to members applying for associate’s or bachelor’s degree programs.

Senate Bill # 67

Long Title:

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO COMPENSATION FOR EDUCATION PROFESSIONALS.

Synopsis:

This bill would allow teachers who demonstrate objectively measured efforts to improve the academic performance of their students during the preceding school year to receive financial bonuses, and teachers who do so in high risk schools to receive additional bonuses. Financial bonuses are already made available under existing law to teachers who take additional professional development classes, obtain certifications, and accepting additional responsibilities that impact student achievement. This bill would also provide a block award to individual schools whose students have the most objective improvement on statewide assessment tests, to be distributed by the school to all school employees. This bill becomes effective only upon appropriation of funds by the General Assembly, and only when other statutory salary supplements for educators for which funding has been temporarily stayed by the General Assembly are reinstated.

Senate Bill # 68

Long Title:

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO STUDENT ASSESSMENT AND ACADEMIC PROMOTION..

Synopsis:

This legislation eliminates the DSTP, and requires its replacement beginning in the 2010-2011 school year with a test administered at a minimum in each grade level 2 through 10 at the beginning of the school year and at least one more time later in the year, to assess student progress over the course of the year as well as providing a benchmark for student, school, and district achievement. This new testing regimen will allow a student’s performance on state assessments to be based upon the student’s best results from the multiple assessments performed during the year.

House Bill # 165

Long Title:

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLES 11 AND 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE ADULT ABUSE REGISTRY.

Synopsis:

This act permits the Department of Health and Social Services to provide online access to the names and nature of the conduct committed by those persons who are actively listed on the Adult Abuse Registry as a result of substantiated findings of abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation.

House Bill # 302

Long Title:

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 10 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO REPORTING FINANCIAL EXPLOITATION OF THE ELDERLY AND INFIRM.

Synopsis:

This bill is intended to encourage the reporting of suspected financial exploitation of the elderly and infirm adults by providing immunity from criminal and civil liability for making such reports. Under the bill, anyone who makes a good faith report to law enforcement authorities of such suspected activity is immune from criminal and civil liability for making that report. In addition, any person that adopts a formal written program for reporting suspected financial fraud is immune from civil or criminal liability for any report, act, or omission under that program.
Participation in reporting programs is voluntary.

House Bill # 36

Long Title:

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLES 16 AND 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO NURSING FACILITIES AND SIMILAR FACILITIES.

Synopsis:

This Bill clarifies the role of the Community Legal Aid Society, Inc. (CLASI), designated for the past 30 years as Delaware’s Protection and Advocacy Agency pursuant to federal law, in protecting patients and residents in nursing and similar facilities. As a complement to the existing protective system operated by the Department of Health and Social Services, CLASI is authorized to solicit and investigate reports of abuse, neglect, mistreatment and financial exploitation in covered facilities. Finally, the Bill deters interference and retaliation against persons cooperating with such investigations.